Being one of the landlocked countries, Switzerland is trying to maximize its green energy production during the winter months. To help with this, a curved solar panel structure was built at the Muttsee Lake Dam in the country.The highest dam in Europe at 2,500 meters above sea level, Lake Muttsee Dam currently hosts around 5,000 solar panels. Thus, it became the largest alpine solar power system in the country.
The project, called AlpinSolar, was implemented by energy company Axpo, supermarket chain Denner and utility company IWB. Denner has signed a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) for AlpinSolar, the first of its kind in the country.The system, which is placed on the dam wall of the hydroelectric power plant and extends for a kilometer, will produce 3.3 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, half of which is in winter. This means that it will provide enough energy for about 700 households.
Solar plants in the Alps have many advantages
“One of the characteristics of Alpine solar power plants is that they generate up to three times more electricity than a similar facility in the interior, especially in winter,” said Jeanette Schranz, senior manager of Swiss energy producer Axpo.
Schranz said Swiss mountains are less affected by fog during the colder months, meaning the panels see more sun than at lower altitudes. “Solar panels like the cold and perform better at lower temperatures,” he says.
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